For example, when performing an inspection process before a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is shipped or when performing maintenance of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus by a user, the content of the inspection operation is previously defined in order to improve safety of the apparatus and an operator, and to improve processing efficiency while guaranteeing the quality of the apparatus. Specifically, the inspection operation may include manipulating component devices of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus or checking the result of the manipulation.
Examples of the inspection operation may be as follows:
(a) operating a valve by pressing a switch (soft switch) on a manipulation panel (manipulation screen) provided in the apparatus, and supplying a gas at a maximum flow rate in a gas line, observing a flowmeter with naked eyes of the operator and checking whether the gas of the set flow rate is being flown,
(b) adjusting a pressure by manipulating a regulator of a gas cylinder and checking the pressure on a display device provided on a manipulation equipment of the regulator.
Actually, other inspection items follow these inspection items. There are prepared a multiple number of inspection sets, each of which includes such inspection items.
The sequence of these inspection operations is written on a workflow chart, and the operator manipulates the devices through the manipulation screen by referring to the workflow chart. Further, the operator may perform a series of operations involving checking whether a determination result on the screen coincides with a determination result on the workflow chart, manipulating the devices and checking the operational status of the devices after going to a place where the devices are installed.
In such an inspection method, however, the operator needs to check a manipulation list or a check list based on the workflow chart. Further, when manipulating a device through the manipulation screen, the operator needs to select a corresponding manipulation item on the screen. Accordingly, since the operator needs to pay great attention, it may impose a burden on the operator. Further, a manipulation error is easily likely to occur.
Further, when there are mixed manipulation/checkup operations to be performed through the screen and manipulation/checkup operations to be performed directly or manually by the operator, a series of inspection operations may not be performed with high efficiency and it may take great time to complete the inspection.
Moreover, recently, as for the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, it is more strongly demanded to reduce environment load. Since, however, the workflow chart for the conventional inspection operation is printed on a paper, a load on the environment is caused.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. H9-232200 discloses a technique of displaying an operational status and a command corresponding to a module on the same screen, thus allowing repair of the apparatus to be implemented. Further, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-59811 describes a repair method of automatically performing inspection by selecting or executing manipulation files in which manipulation operations are written. Neither of these documents, however, mentions anything about the aforementioned problems.